Valve spring tester

ABSTRACT

Valve spring tester and method for testing the strength of valve springs in situ on valve-in-head engines, the valves of which are operated by rocker arms, characterized by a lever tool affixed to a torque wrench. The tool may be readily secured directly to a rocker arm for rotating same and compressing its associated spring to desired length at which the torque wrench provides a reading which is a measure of the spring strength or force at the particular length to which it has been compressed.

0 Muted States Patent 51 3,640,129

Bandimere Feb. 8, 1972 [54] VALVE SPRING TESTER [72] lnventorf John C. Bandimere, 3740 Fenton St., f Exam".ler -L0u1s.R' Prince wheatridge Colo. 80033 Assistant Exam ner-Denis E. Corr AttarneyShendan, Ross and Burton [22] Filed: Sept. 5, 1969 21 Appl. No.1 855,653 [57] ABSTRACT Valve spring tester and method for testing the strength of valve springs in situ on valve-in-head engines, the valves of which are operated by rocker arms, characterized by a lever [58] Fie'ld "55 94 H8 119 a tool affixed to a torque wrench. The tool may be readily 1 secured directly to a rockerarm for rotating same and comv pressing its associated spring to desired'length at which the torque wrench provides a reading which is a measure of the [56] Reierences Cited spring strength or force at the particular length to which it has UNITED STATES PATENTS e p ed 2,518,408 8/1950 Weyandn ..73/94 7 whim-45min; Figures PATENTED FEB 8 I972 IN VENTOR JOHN C. BAND/MERE ATTORNEYS VALVE SPRING TESTER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the maintenance and repair of automotive vehicle engines it has long been the practice to test the strength of valve springs to ensure that they have not weakened through fatigue and hence may cause faulty engine operation, particularly at high speeds where valves may float, that is, not completely close as intended. When the valve action is dismantled during replacement or resurfacing of same the springs are usually tested on a bench testing device which measures the spring pressure at a predetermined length of compression of same and if they fail to meet required test tolerance they are usually replaced with new springs. U.S. Pat.-No.2,340,277to Sturtepression spring 18, disposed between the cylinder head and a cup washer 20 locked to the free end of the valve stem by a split tapered lock 22. One end of the rocker arm engages the free end of the valve stem and its other end isactuated by a push rod 74, operated by a camshaft (not shown) the construction so far described being conventional and substantially and substantially standard construction on present valve-in- I head engines. There are, however, many variations in rocker arm design. For example, a fixed rocker arm shaft may support the rocker arm and asuitable adjusting screw may be carried by the rocker arm, usually on the end which engages the push rod,-for adjusting the valve stem clearance when the valve-head is closed or in contact'with its seat. Some overhead vant is exemplary of such type. of testing-device. -It-is'sorne times desired to test the springs in situ, that is, without disman tling the valve action and various testingdevices have been' proposed for this purpose to Essen'lsi'i by .comPressionsPringsand the manner of op ning same,

. whether it be by push rod or overhead cam is immaterial, the

exemplary of such type of device for us on L-head engines, that is, where the valves are disposed in the cylinder block. The L-head engine has, however, been largely superseded by. the valvein-head engine and hence an in situ tester for an L;

head engine is not properly designed for an engine where the which are not provided with cylinder head cover studs or the like for securing such a device to the cylinder head.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present inventionutilizes a torque wrench, as in the Weyand patent referred to, but requires only a simple and inexpensive leverage tool which may be secured directly to a rocker arm for compressing a valve spring to a desired length. No clamping structure to the cylinder head is required and the torque wrench its attached leverage tool may be quickly applied to a rocker arm and shifted to the next as the springs are successively tested.

The principal objective of the invention is, accordingly, the provision of a leverage tool which may be attached to a conventional torque wrench, the combination of which form a spring tester which may compress a spring to desired length, the torque wrench reading being a measure of the spring pressure, the combination further forming a device which may be attached to a rocker arm without use of tools and irrespective of the presence or absence of means for securing same to the cylinder head.

Further objects, advantages and salient features will become more apparent from the detailed description to follow, the appended claims and the accompanying drawing to now be briefly described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a cross section through a portion of a valve-in-head engine, illustrating a tool and torque wrench attached to a rocker arm;

FIG 2 is a side elevation of the tool of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a lower plan as viewed in the direction of arrow 3, FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a section taken through line 4-4, FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing, FIG. 1 depicts one form of valve-in-head construction including a rocker arm 12 pivotally connected to the cylinder head by an adjustable spherical screw 14, valve stem 16, which carries a valve head (not shown), being urged toward its closed position by a comcam engines areof likeconstruction, employing pivoted rocker arms but no push rod is employed, a cam. lobe directly engaging the rocker arm. It willthus be understood that the iltesting of thejspring being the same in either construction.

, Thesubject'of the invention comprises a tool 26 which may v be'attached to the rocker arm in any suitable manner for rotating it' and compressing spring 18. In the form illustrated, this comprises an arm 28 having a pair of hooks 30, 30 at one end which straddle the push rod and engage the rocker arm at one end of same, any suitable portion of arm 28 engaging the upper surface of the rocker arm. In essence, therefore, arm 28 is in the nature of a lever or wrench which may be quickly and manually attached to a rocker arm for applying a torque to same and manuallycompressing spring 18 to a desired length.

Since considerable leverage is required to compress the spring, and since it is desired to employ a conventional torque wrench which forms a part of the handtool equipment of most engine mechanics, a suitable boss or lug 32 is formed on tool 26 which is provided with square apertures 34, 34 which may detachably receive a like driving end 36 on a torque wrench 38. Apertures 34 preferably extend through the lug so that the torque wrench may be affixed to either side of the tool and, if desired, the square apertures or sockets at each end of the lug may be indexed relatively by 45 to thereby increase the number of positions of affixation of the torque wrench relative to the tool. This is illustrated in FIG. 2 wherein square end 36 of the torque wrench may be affixed to one side of lug 32 in positions, T1, T2 and T3 and to the other side of same in positions T4 and T5. Normally, other positions will not be possible due to interference of the torque wrench with parts of the engine.

Any suitable gage G may be employed to measure the length of the spring when compressed to a predetermined length and at which the reading of pointer P on the torque wrench is observed and, as will be apparent, thegage may be constructed adjustable in length if so desired.

In the operation of the invention the tool is affixed to the torque wrench and hooks 30 disposed beneath one end of the rocker arm as shown in FIG. I. The valve spring is then compressed to a predetermined length by the torque wrench and the torque wrench reading is observed. Since torque wrench dials are usually calibrated in foot-pounds (or inch-pounds) i this reading is a measure of the spring force and if the spring is compressed to a predetermined length its force or strength thereat is translated into foot-pounds or the like. A suitable chart or other data may be'provided to correlate the two variables referred to or alternatively the data may be empirically established by comparison with a new spring which has a correct and known spring constant.

While hooks 40 have been illustrated for attaching tool 26 to the rocker arrn it will be understood that these are exemplary, only, and various other structures may be employed, the essential feature beingthat a rapid direct attachment between a torque wrench and a rocker arm may be made so that the torque wrench may compress the valve spring to a desired length and determine whether its force or strength at such length conforms to a known tolerance.

It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the exact embodiments of the device shown and described, which are merely by way ofillustration.

l claim:

1. Apparatus for testing a valve spring in situ on a valve-inhcad engine having a rocker arm pivoted about an axis and associated with such spring, comprising:

a. a tool adapted to be detachably and contiguously connected with the rocker arm.

b. said tool having spaced portions for abutting spaced portions on the rocker arm for capturing it and for bodily rotating it with the tool and compressing the spring, and

c. means afiixed directly to said tool for securing it to the driving end of a torque wrench.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means comprises a square socket for receiving the square driving end of a torque wrench.

3v Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 including two square sockets, one at each side of the tool, for receiving the square driving end of the torque wrench.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein the square sockets are angularly indexed relative to each other to increase the possible angular positions of the torque wrench relative to the member.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said tool is provided with a pair of hooks which straddle a rocker arm push rod and engage the rocker arm adjacent thereto.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including a torque wrench secured to said means on said tool.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein the torque wrench is detachably secured, to thereby permit the use of a conventional torque wrench.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the rocker arm is of the type adapted to be actuated by a push rod.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said portions on the rocker arm are disposed on opposite sides of the Pivotal axis thereof. 

1. Apparatus for testing a valve spring in situ on a valve-inhead engine having a rocker arm pivoted about an axis and associated with such spring, comprising: a. a tool adapted to be detachably and contiguously connected with the rocker arm. b. said tool having spaced portions for abutting spaced portions on the rocker arm for capturing it and for bodily rotating it with the tool and compressing the spring, and c. means affixed directly to said tool for securing it to the driving end of a torque wrench.
 2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means comprises a square socket for receiving the square driving end of a torque wrench.
 3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 including two square sockets, one at each side of the tool, for receiving the square driving end of the torque wrench.
 4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein the square sockets are angularly indexed relative to each other to increase the possible angular positions of the torque wrench relative to the member.
 5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said tool is provided with a pair of hooks which straddle a rocker arm push rod and engage the rocker arm adjacent thereto.
 6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including a torque wrench secured to said means on said tool.
 7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein the torque wrench is detachably secured, to thereby permit the use of a conventional torque wrench.
 8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the rocker arm is of the type adapted to be actuated by a push rod.
 9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said portions on the rocker arm are disposed on opposite sides of the Pivotal axis thereof. 